29 Years of Lessons

About a week ago I turned 29. That’s big time, right? Being one year away from 30 and all. Something about turning 30 makes me feel like I will have arrived or something. I was about to say that I think people treat 30-somethings more serious, but maybe 30-somethings start to take themselves more seriously. But, anyway, what do I know, I’m getting ahead of myself.

As my birthday was approaching I started scribbling down things I’ve learned these past 29 years, things silly and serious. While I still have a long way to go and so much to learn, I thought I might share them here.

In no particular order, here’s to 29 things I’ve learned in 29 years:

1) I am slowly learning that I have little to no control over the circumstances that surround me, but it’s the circumstances around me that Jesus uses to shape me the most.

2) Learning how to sauté and roast vegetables changed my life. For the better.

3) Often I’ve found that effective leaders are good listeners; which shows me that to be a good leader, you must be a good listener.

4) Sometimes honor means leaving someone better than you found them. (In an ideal world, this would be true of dating, too.)

5) I think if we all adopted the mentality of “what can I do at my church so that more people can come and hear about Jesus?” instead of “I can’t worship because it’s too loud and someone took my seat.”, we as a church would be a lot happier.

6) People you can be yourself with (the good, the bad, and the ugly) are a pure gift.

7) I’m slowly learning that the schemes of the enemy are crafty, yet so obvious. His main goal is to get our attention off of Jesus Christ. He likes it when our minds wander.

8) A late-night bowl of cereal is always a good idea.

9) Friends re-runs never, ever get old.

10) You and I are an original. Scripture says so, “Each of us is an original.” Gal. 5:26

11) Laughing until you cry is the best thing ever, ever, ever. It is reviving.

12) If we didn’t have any handicaps, no limitations, we would never realize our deep need for Christ in our lives.

13) Asking the right questions makes all the difference in the world.

14) If you do not love, you are nothing.

15) There will never come a time in your life when you won’t need the church, and by that I mean the Body of Believers that makes up the church.

16) Part of having good, solid friendships is learning to be a good friend. It takes two to tango.

17) It’s okay to admit that you’re wrong. Or hurt. Or not okay. That’s why you’ll never outgrow the Body of Christ. They carry you when you’ve been through the wringer.

18) Everybody longs to be truly known. But everybody wants to really know somebody, also. It’s how we were created. For intimacy.

19) There’s a cost to being known, it’s called vulnerability. And vulnerability involves risk. But it’s worth it.

20) There is nothing wrong with purchasing Disney movies (ahem, Frozen) even if you have no children to blame it on.

21) It is unfathomable to me that not only does God not make mention of our sin if we are in Christ, but He doesn’t even recall it. We are spotless in his eyes. (Yet ironically we are so good at recalling others sin and holding it against them. Ouch.)

22) Change takes time.

23) What marks a good friendship is that you talk about the trivial things and the deep things.

24) Babies are the cutest and most snuggly after bath time. Swoon.

25) It blows my mind that no two sunrises or sunsets are ever the same. Our God is so creative.

26) We can’t pretend to have it all together and then expect people to relate to us. People relate to the real us, the flawed us, not the fake us. Believers and non-believers alike.

27) I find it so perplexing that relationships of all kinds are the one thing we all desire in life, but they are the one thing that can do the most damage. Help us, Jesus.

28) Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve observed lately that while women write and sing songs about being brave, men write and star in movies about being brave. Hmmmm.

29) Aiming to invest in people over impressing people is the way to live.

To those that have invested and imparted these things in me, you’re the best. Thank you!

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47 Responses to “29 Years of Lessons”

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May the LORD bless you as you prepare to enter your 30’s! You have a year yet, but I love the things you have learned. IT was so neat to read and shows the deep thoughts you have had, and all were so good! Thank you and God bless you with every step you take!
Happy Happy Birthday!
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with All your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In All your ways acknowledge Him and He Will direct your paths!

I just had a birthday about 2 weeks ago…the big 2-4! loved your list…I think if I was a Texas girl instead of an Ohioan we could be real life friends. But, I’m thankful for fun blogs to connect on and your honesty!

Thank you thank you for these! I have a son who just turned 30 so you can imagine how old I am! However, I have served as a pastor’s wife for 26 plus years and have found that the things you listed are so true and don’t change.
I have found great encouragement in this list. Bless you for taking the time to write them down!

Happy Birthday Month! It should last 29 days—birthday celebrating. It can’t last more than 31! That means…You can’t get any older than 31! LOL! The celebration in Heaven over one lost soul becoming a Christian is the best celebration. Pray for my 17 year old grandson, who needs to cause heaven to celebrate!

You’ve done a great job of learning in your 29 years, but every Christian should have #5 tattooed across their hearts (figuratively speaking.)“WHAT CAN I DO AT MY CHURCH SO THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN COME TO HEAR ABOUT JESUS?”
Thank you for sharing! Keep listening. He has a lot to teach us all. 😉

That’s an awful lot of wisdom for 29! Thank you for sharing. Belated happy birthday to you. I hope it was full of celebration with the kind of friends (and laughter)you describe in your post. May the Lord pour joy and grace into the year ahead for you.

Very wise for a young lady! I only wished that at 29, I would have realized half of what you have there….it would have saved me a lot of bumps and bruises (spiritually speaking). God obviously has great plans for you!

Hi Lindsee!
Hope you had a great birthday. My daughter turns 22 today.One of my favorite things about this journey we are on, is when we are so blessed by someone younger. Thanks for speaking truth, lovingly.

Hi Lindsee,
I loved your list. It’s great getting to know you! I’m passing this along to some on my women’s ministry board who are young. Blessings, patti
I also love that you are a devoted daughter of the King at such a young age!

Wishing you many blessings for the coming year!
Hoppy! Hoppy! Hoppy! Birthday, dear Lindsee!
Looking forward to celebrating my 60th birthday July 11th with the LPL gang & 10,000 of my Siestas @ United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Tx. Isn’t that a great place for us to gather???
United SPIRIT Arena!!!

Lindsee,
I love reading your posts, and I agree with those who say you’ve come up with an awesome list of things learned by 29, but I have to tease you. #17 shows that you are definitely young. This 68 year old knows that one gets put through the “Wringer” as in the old-fashioned washing machine rollers that squeeze out the water from the wet clothes…not a machine that a 29 year old would have experience with! LOL But you know what it’s like to have support when the life has been squeezed out of you, and that’s the important thing. Bless you!

Happy belated birthday sweetie! You are so wise, so so wise! You could be my little sister as I’m turning 39 this year. I’m not completely sure yet how I feel about leaving my 30s and entering my 40s. One thing though is that I am so grateful for the lessons that The Lord has taught me about intimacy with him through this decade. He alone satisfies!

You bless me greatly Lindsee! Printing out your list to remember! Help me to be more real Jesus. Thank you for sharing…you encourage my heart so much in your posts. Thanks for letting God’s light shine through you. Wish you lived in Michigan and we could meet for coffee:-).

So true. One hit me write in face & made me confess & repent on the spot.
Then the sweet sweet memory – babies after baths – nothing like it! Produces an audible Mmmm moment each time I think of it.
Love you girl.

At age 29, I was praying and leaning on the Lord for direction in my life. Proverbs 3:5-6 became my verse I hung on to. Later, I joined the army with an office job and headed for Germany, where I met my sweet, Christian husband. Not long afterward, we went to Ft. Stewart, Georgia where I finished my three years in the army. We returned to Germany and I had twin boys.
It was been amazing all the things God has done in our lives. yes, we are still learning more each day.
Still leaning on Jesus!

Happy belated birthday, dear Lindsee! What a great idea to list what God has taught you the last 29 years. I will be 56 in September and I will begin working on my list tomorrow, since it’s almost twice as long as yours! Your #5 also spoke to me – thank you! Blessings to you…

Happy belated Birthday, Lindsee! Can’t decide which is my favorite #6 or #11, most likely a combination, though, because the real me is far too serious. And just this morning I was thinking about how much a belly laugh would help right now. Anybody in Siestaville got any good, clean, funny jokes.

Now, on a very serious note (which I’m good at) a prayer request that I’ve had on the prayer board before, but I hope it’s okay to repeat it here. My youngest granddaughter, Hannah has all the markers of Turner syndrome and her Mommy’s labor will be induced on July 8th, at which time the pediatric cardiologist will determine if and when heart surgery will be needed. Thanks for your prayers.
Patti Hayes

Patti, so grateful you put that on the prayer board. It WILL be prayed over, no doubt. Asking right now that your daughter’s body (and soon to be grandbaby) would come under the authority of Christ. Asking for complete healing and restoration.

Beth,
To me, you have not only been a constant inspirational source of courage and example of an elect lady in Christ, but one of the most brave souls on Earth. Your willingness to expose you soul’s wounds to assist all of us in reaching down to our aching wounded bleeding wounds setting the example that our Lord’s atonement and love DOES truly cover and cleanse AND completely heal us is a gift that is beyond compare. You are a great leader, dear woman, inspirational sister, thank you brave courageous one,
Sara Mead

What’s a Siesta?

Isn't "siesta" the Spanish word for nap? Yes! Then why are our LPM blog readers called siestas? One time Beth typed out the word "sistas," referring to our blog readers, and her spell checker wanted her to change it to "siestas." The name stuck! You can read about it here. If you read this blog, consider yourself a siesta! It's just another word for sister.